Patient-Identified Barriers to Hepatitis C Treatment

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a significant public health challenge in the US.
• Primary care settings can play a crucial role in bridging gaps in HCV treatment access.
• Barriers to specialist care, patient resources, education, and awareness hinder HCV treatment initiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and patient willingness for HCV treatment within a primary care setting.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to HCV treatment adherence in an urban family medicine clinic.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was conducted at an urban family medicine residency clinic.
• Medical records were searched to identify 40 untreated patients with a positive HCV diagnosis.
• A phone-assisted survey assessed patient awareness, perceived barriers, and willingness to receive HCV treatment.

Main Results:

• 16 patients completed the survey (40% response rate).
• 81.2% of respondents desired to start HCV treatment, preferring their primary care clinic.
• Significant gaps in patient understanding of HCV infection (43.8%) and its consequences (50.0% aware of liver damage/cancer risk) were identified.

Conclusions:

• HCV treatment is feasible and desired by patients within an urban primary care setting.
• Addressing patient education and awareness is critical for successful HCV treatment.
• Primary care integration can improve access to HCV treatment and management.